It is known practice to cure a green tire blank in a press in order to shape it and to vulcanize it. The press comprises a trough and a cover connected to the trough by means of slides that allow it to slide vertically. The slides are pivotably mounted on the trough. To open the press, the cover is slid upwardly to move it away from the trough and then the slides are tilted in order to move the cover out of the way so as to allow access to the trough.
In this arrangement, the free height between the trough and the cover is limited by the vertical displacement of the latter. To open up as far as possible the space required to gain access to the trough in order to load the moulds and the tires, the slides must be tilted through a pronounced angle. That involves a considerable expenditure of energy and generates a substantial space requirement on that side of the press where the cover tilts.